The county of Nassau was 1255 partitioned between the Walramian and the
Ottonian
lines of the House of Nassau. The former line is recorded in
Nassau's main page. The Ottonian line
acquired through marriage the Dutch town Breda as a fief 1403 and its main
line resided thereafter in the Netherlands where they became leaders of the
Dutch revolt against Spain during the 16th century. Wilhelm of Nassau-Orange
became the stadtholder of the Netherlands 1572 and this title was then
hereditary in his family. It was decided in the Congress of Vienna 1814 that
the Ottonian part of Nassau would by ceded to the Walramian line, the
Ottonian line was compensated by becoming kings over a greatly enlarged
Netherlands.